bushels of wheat by the acre, are said, when dressed with whitefish, to have yielded forty. The number caught is almost incredible. It is here said, and that by persons of very fair reputation, that 150,000 have been taken at a single draught. Such, upon the whole, have been their numbers; and such the ease, with which they have been obtained; that lands in the neighbourhood of productive fisheries are declared to have risen, within a few years, to three, four, and in some cases, to six times their former value.

You will easily believe, that the fetor, of which I complained in a former letter, was at least equally troublesome here. Wherever the fish were gathered in considerable quantities near the road; their effluvia filled the atmosphere; and made our journey sufficiently unpleasant. The farmers, however, by the force of habit, and the prospect of gain are reconciled to this odour. Indeed many of them must, I think, be insensible to it, for they feed their swine in the near neighborhood of their houses, and some of them directly before their doors, with the fish, called Horse-feet; the remains of which yield a smell still less supportable.

Among the serious disadvantages, under which the inhabitants of the tract, already described, labour, the want of water is the greatest. At the time, when we passed through it streams of every size are usually full. Yet we saw, if I remember right, during the first twenty-four miles of our journey but one small brook, which is in Huntington, and the mill-stream, mentioned above in the account of Smithtown. In Setauket, however, we found three small brooks. Between this village, and Southhold; a distance of more than forty miles, we crossed but one: viz. Wading River: an insignificant rill, from two to perhaps six feet in breadth. The want of mill-streams obliges the inhabitants to have recourse to wind-mills; which are erected in all these settlements, except the hamlet, through which we passed, in Smithtown. The want of brooks, to water their cattle, forces them in many instances to dig basins in the earth, near their houses. During the wet seasons these excavations furnish them with a tolerable supply; but the water is often muddy and bad. In rare

cases this want is relieved by ponds; but even these have their inconveniences, particularly during the hot season, when they become corrupted and unhealthy. Their wells also, must commonly be dug to a great depth, before they will yield a sufficient quantity of water. A traveller, accustomed to the wells, brooks, and mill-streams of New-England is apt to wonder in what manner these people can live comfortably, under this embarrassment.

The best lands on both sides of the Island are, with some exceptions, the points; or, as they are sometimes termed, the necks. They have usually a stronger soil; and are often enriched by a variety of marine shells, deposited here through a long succession of ages by the Indians; converted with a gradual decay into valuable manure; and thus supplying the nutriment drawn off by vegetation. Not unfrequently also, are these lands furnished with springs, which break out on the shore, both above, and below, the high water mark, and with tide mills erected on the inlets in their neighbourhood.

The small breadth of this Island, and its numerous inlets, accommodate the inhabitants, almost every where, with a harbour near to their doors; and enable them to convey their produce to market with little expense. In the ocean, also, they find, on both sides, a considerable portion of their food, and materials for half of their commerce. Fish, of most kinds found in this climate, abound in the waters of this Island. Within a few years however, Oysters have in several places greatly decayed; particularly at Blue Point in the South-Western part of Brookhaven. The oyster beds at this place were not long since supposed to be inexhaustible; and supplied not not only the inhabitants of Long-Island, but the inhabitants of New-York, the County of Westchester, and the South shore of New-England, with immense quantities of this valuable fish. Now they have become lean, watery, and sickly; and have declined still more in their numbers than in their quality. Formerly they were large and well flavoured : now they are scarcely eatable; and, what is worse, there is reason to fear, that they will soon become extinct.

Bass are caught in vast numbers along the shore.

I am, Sir, yours, &c.

LETTER III.

Shelter Island-Sagg Harbour-The Peninsula of Montauk-Indians who inhabit it-Light House-East-Hampton-Manners of the inhabitants-Honourable efforts of the people to maintain the government of law and to discountenance vice -Settled from New-England-Suffolk County-Gardiner's Island-Bridghampton-Southampton-Canoe place-Westhampton-The Fireplace.

Dear Sir,

THE ferry from Southhold to Shelter-Island is attended with the inconveniences, usual in places where there is too little travelling to defray the expense of good accommodations. We found neither wharf, nor ferry-stairs, on either side. The shore was a gradual slope. We were, therefore, obliged to ride to the boat, and with much difficulty to force our horses into it by leading them over the gunwale. The boat itself was inconvenient, and was managed by a single man. The breadth of the ferry is three fourths of a mile. To make us amends for these troubles, the weather was perfectly serene and pleasant and we crossed the strait without any accident.

Shelter Island lies in Peconic bay, at about an equal distance from Southhold and Hogs Neck; and, with that peninsula, renders the bay a secure harbour for vessels, not drawing more than four fathom. The passages on both sides are perfectly safe. There is, however, little reason to believe, that this bay can ever be much used as an anchoring ground, unless by the ships of an enemy. In the Revolutionary war it was frequently occupied by the British shipping.

The Indian name of this Island was Manhansack-Ahaquatauwomeck; signifying an island sheltered by other islands. Its present name, intentionally a translation of the original one, ought to be Sheltered Island. It is about seven miles in length from North to South; about five in breadth, and not far from thirty in circumference. Its area is between eight and nine thousand acres. Its surface is much more undulating than that of the neighbouring country. A great number of small hollow grounds are dispersed

over it, containing, usually, a considerable quantity of water, and covered with a thick growth of swamp shrubs. These spots are unsightly, and, indeed, offensive to the eye: but they furnish the farmer with the great convenience of water for his cattle. There is not, I believe, a spring on this island above high water mark. The forest growth, which consists of oak, chesnut, &c. is thinly planted, and chiefly without underwood. The British cut down a great part of the wood during the revolutionary war, and thus greatly lessened the value of the lands. Three thousand cords were taken from the estate of Thomas Dering, Esq. a man of such excellence of character, as would, if any thing could, have disarmed the spirit of plunder.

The soil is lighter, and thinner, than that of the good lands on Long-Island. Yet in a field, belonging to General Dering, it yielded, under a skillful husbandry, between thirty-nine and forty bushels of wheat an acre, the year, preceding the date of this journey. Exclusive of grass, for the growth, of which it is rather too dry, it seems well fitted for all the productions of the climate. To sheep it is peculiarly suited: the sweet feed, which it yields being remarkably grateful to that animal; and the snow lying, or dinarily, so short a time, as very little to interrupt the pasturing of cattle. The wool of the Shelter Island flocks is thought inferiour to none in this country.

The property of this Island is principally in the three families of Dering, Haven, and Nicoll. It was incorporated in 1788; and in 1790, contained 201 inhabitants; in 1800, 260; and, in 1810,

270.

To the credit of the inhabitants, especially of the principal proprietors, it ought to be observed, that they have customarily made considerable exertions to support schools, and to obtain the preaching of the gospel.

Two of our company left us here; and proceeded immediately over Hogs Neck to Sagg Harbour, and thence to East-Hampton. We spent a considerable part of the day at the house of General Dering. In the afternoon this gentleman politely accompanied us to the ferry; and assisted us not a little to obtain a comforta

ble passage. The wind being boisterous, we sent our horses over first; and followed them without accident, although not without disagreeable apprehensions. We then found our way, with some difficulty, over Hogs Neck; and proceeded, unpleasantly enough through the waters, which overflowed the long, narrow, and winding, isthmus, connecting this peninsula with Southampton. Thence we had a circuitous, solitary, and tedious, ride to Sagg Harbour; where the hospitality of Mr. D. amply compensated us for the troubles of the journey.

Sagg Harbour is a pretty village, lying partly within the township of Southampton, and partly in that of East-Hampton. It is situated on a mere mass of sand. The harbour, which is excellent, and the only good one for a great distance on the Eastern end of the Island, allured the inhabitants to this unpleasant ground; not unpleasant from the want of prospect, but because it furnishes unpleasant streets, and walks, and is unfriendly to every kind of vegetation. The village contained at this time about 120 houses; the principal part of which are on a winding street, terminating at the shore; the rest, on some other streets of less consequence. Many of the houses, out-houses, and fences are new, and neat: and an appearance of thrift, elsewhere unknown in this part of the island, is spread over the whole village. Several of the inhabitants have acquired considerable wealth by commerce and fishing: both of which have been regularly increasing since the Revolutionary war. When we were on the spot, there were three, and there are now (1811) six, ships, employed in the whale fishery on the coast of Brazil; each of which is supposed, on an average, to return, annually, with one thousand barrels of oil. The other vessels, owned here, may amount to fifty. Mechanical business is also done here to considerable extent. Ship building, particularly, is carried on with skill, spirit, and success. There is a printing office in this village: the only one on the Island, except at Brooklyn. The inhabitants have a small Presbyterian church; old, and of design ill-repaired: a much larger one being necessary to accommodate their increasing population.*

* A large and handsome church has since been erected.-Pub.